True to her political roots, Clinton’s book is essentially a right-wing
tirade. Her narrative expresses the worldview of a highly privileged
social layer of which she is a member. To America’s financial oligarchy,
all social opposition is the result of a conspiracy stirred up by
outside agitators, to be crushed by censorship and other police methods.
-- Andre Damon, "Hillary Clinton’s What Happened: A conspiracy theory of the 2016 election" (WSWS).
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
Truest statement of the week II
A relevant critique of the relationship between the American presidency,
white supremacy, antiradicalism, and capitalist exploitation is
possible. During the height of McCarranism and McCarthyism, Claudia Jones
contended that Harry Truman and his anticommunist regime found her
threatening because she was a “Negro woman” that “dared to challenge the
civil rights lip-service cry of his reactionary administration which
[was] yet to lift a finger to prosecute the lynchers, the Ku Klux Klan,
or the anti-Semites.” She also argued
that Cold War immigration laws, which restricted immigration from all
Caribbean islands to a mere 100 persons per year, were not only racist,
but were also antiradical, insofar as they aimed to drive out
“progressive ideas.” Moreover, she linked U.S. governmentality to that
of Hitler’s Germany, because both repressed labor, trampled upon
democratic rights, murdered and jailed communists and other radicals,
promoted war and militarization, and of course, oppressed Black and
other racialized folk. For Jones ,
white supremacy was not a matter of attitude or morals, but rather of
property rights, access to resources, and the hierarchical organization
of American society. In fact, she rejected the idea
that racism and discrimination were acts of individual choice, and
stressed that they were forms of structural domination that needed to be
eradicated if liberation for all people was to be achieved.
While virtually all of Jones’ critiques of the Truman administration are applicable to the current presidency—take for example the immigration ban, the suspension of DACA, threats to invade Venezuela and North Korea, the pardoning of Joe Arpaio, and the failure to condemn white terrorism in Charlottesville—Coates zeros in on what he perceives to be the moralistic failures of voters whose actions represented a commitment to white fantasy. This is not withstanding the social and political economic exigencies that have given rise to right populism not only in the United States, but also in parts of Latin America and Europe.
-- Charisse Burden-Stelly, "Why Claudia Jones Will Always Be More Relevant than Ta-Nehisi Coates" (BLACK AGENDA REPORT).
While virtually all of Jones’ critiques of the Truman administration are applicable to the current presidency—take for example the immigration ban, the suspension of DACA, threats to invade Venezuela and North Korea, the pardoning of Joe Arpaio, and the failure to condemn white terrorism in Charlottesville—Coates zeros in on what he perceives to be the moralistic failures of voters whose actions represented a commitment to white fantasy. This is not withstanding the social and political economic exigencies that have given rise to right populism not only in the United States, but also in parts of Latin America and Europe.
-- Charisse Burden-Stelly, "Why Claudia Jones Will Always Be More Relevant than Ta-Nehisi Coates" (BLACK AGENDA REPORT).
A note to our readers
Hey --
It's Wednesday.
Let's thank all who participated this edition which includes Dallas and the following:
The Third Estate Sunday Review's Jim, Dona, Ty, Jess and Ava,
Rebecca of Sex and Politics and Screeds and Attitude,
Betty of Thomas Friedman Is a Great Man,
C.I. of The Common Ills and The Third Estate Sunday Review,
Kat of Kat's Korner (of The Common Ills),
Mike of Mikey Likes It!,
Elaine of Like Maria Said Paz),
Cedric of Cedric's Big Mix,
Ruth of Ruth's Report,
Wally of The Daily Jot,
Trina of Trina's Kitchen,
Marcia of SICKOFITRDLZ,
Stan of Oh Boy It Never Ends,
Isaiah of The World Today Just Nuts,
and Ann of Ann's Mega Dub.
And what did we come up with?
Andre Damon gets a truest.
As does Charisse Burden-Stelly.
Ben Rhodes, even by his own 'standards', is flat out wrong as usual.
Ava and C.I. explore the new season of AMERICAN HORROR STORY and see a message and meaning others appear to be missing.
We offer our choice of the 50 best. See if one of your favorites made the list.
The first time Ty saw this commercial, he called me on the phone telling me to turn the TV on and go to whatever channel. By the time I (Jim) got there, the commercial was over. :( He went ahead and wrote this brief piece and, good news, he includes the commercial in question.
Ty and other African-American and Black contributors (Betty prefers Black) worked on this piece.
We all worked on selecting the 50 best children's programs.
An Iraq piece.
What we listened to.
Repost from Great Britain's SOCIALIST WORKER.
Press release.
Press release.
We posted on Wednesday.
Why?
Ava and C.I. (and Jess) went to the Emmy Sunday. Ava and C.I. had written their piece. But Stan was sick and so was Rebecca. And we were lazy. Next thing we knew it was Tuesday morning and Ava was on the phone to me, "You know that we [Ava and C.I.] will have to rewrite our piece if you don't get the new edition done and posted before tonight." Because another episode of AMERICAN HORROR STORY would air Tuesday night.
We didn't make it, so Ava and C.I. had to redo their piece.
Peace,
-- Jim, Dona, Ty, Jess, Ava and C.I.
Editorial: Uh, Rhodes, US military credited Trump not Obama
Bitch Boi Ben Rhodes had his brother to help cover for him in the last eight years.
Now the little bitch just has his Twitter.
From his Twitter feed, he lies.
We think the Iraq War should have ended. We see nothing for Barack Obama or Donald Trump to take pride in.
That said, Ben Rhodes pissed off US generals. He acted as if he were president. Barack abdicated his own role as commander-in-chief and allowed Ben Rhodes to order the military around.
So if we're talking about progress -- as defined by Bitch Benny and Donald -- Trump is correct.
Do you know who that is?
Bitch Benny Rhodes does.
It's Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend.
He doesn't miss Bitch Benny.
And he gave credit to Donald.
This is from his August press briefing:
MAJ. RANKINE-GALLOWAY: Tony Capaccio with Bloomberg.
Q: Hi, sir.
We have heard in Washington that the White House has decentralized decision-making -- tactical decision-making down to your level and below, more than the Obama administration had. Brett McGurk has laid this out a few times in Washington.
Can you give a couple of practical examples of how this decentralization has helped in your campaign to so-call annihilate ISIS? And then I have a follow-up on a different subject.
GEN. TOWNSEND: Okay. I will say that the current administration has pushed decision-making down into the military chain of command. And I don't know of a commander in our armed forces that doesn't appreciate that. I'll -- I'll prefer not to go into specific examples.
I will say that probably a key result of that is that we don't get second-guessed a lot. Our judgment here on the battlefield in the forward areas is trusted. And we don't get 20 questions with every action that happens on the battlefield and every action that we take.
And again, I think every commander that I know of appreciates being given the authority and responsibility, and then the trust and backing to implement that. So, that's what I'll say.
You had a follow-up question?
[. . .]
MAJ. RANKINE-GALLOWAY: Next, to Jennifer Griffin from Fox News.
Q: Hi, General Townsend.
Your time in Iraq has overlapped two administrations in the fight against ISIS. Can you tell us what the biggest difference in the last six months, in terms of being a commanding general and the way the ISIS fight was pursued -- how different it is from the prior administration? What is the biggest difference for you as a commander?
GEN. TOWNSEND: Well, I think that some of the differences -- look, both administrations, as would any U.S. administration -- both administrations were, I think, all-in on defeating ISIS in this region. That's why this CJTF was stood up three years ago.
So I think that is common to both, and -- and macro, I think, the approach has been very similar. There are some specific instances which I kind of talked about with an earlier -- an answer to an earlier question, that I think the current administration has empowered the chain of command to make more decisions on their own, and has then given top cover to the chain of command, I think, for the decisions that are being made. And I think that's important.
And that has -- just that alone has effects that reverberate throughout a military organization when they feel like they've been given the -- the authority and the trust to act and act aggressively. Then commanders now don't -- aren't constantly calling back to higher headquarters asking for permission, but they're free to act. And I think that's probably very empowering for any commander in our armed forces.
The military is quite clear on the difference before and after Barack.
Ben Rhodes 'forgets' that reality.
Again, we're not applauding the destruction of Iraq.
But we are saying Benny Bitch needs to stop lying.
Now the little bitch just has his Twitter.
This is just factually wrong. ISIS had lost the vast majority of its territory in Iraq and the Mosul operation began under Obama.
From his Twitter feed, he lies.
We think the Iraq War should have ended. We see nothing for Barack Obama or Donald Trump to take pride in.
That said, Ben Rhodes pissed off US generals. He acted as if he were president. Barack abdicated his own role as commander-in-chief and allowed Ben Rhodes to order the military around.
So if we're talking about progress -- as defined by Bitch Benny and Donald -- Trump is correct.
Do you know who that is?
Bitch Benny Rhodes does.
It's Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend.
He doesn't miss Bitch Benny.
And he gave credit to Donald.
This is from his August press briefing:
MAJ. RANKINE-GALLOWAY: Tony Capaccio with Bloomberg.
Q: Hi, sir.
We have heard in Washington that the White House has decentralized decision-making -- tactical decision-making down to your level and below, more than the Obama administration had. Brett McGurk has laid this out a few times in Washington.
Can you give a couple of practical examples of how this decentralization has helped in your campaign to so-call annihilate ISIS? And then I have a follow-up on a different subject.
GEN. TOWNSEND: Okay. I will say that the current administration has pushed decision-making down into the military chain of command. And I don't know of a commander in our armed forces that doesn't appreciate that. I'll -- I'll prefer not to go into specific examples.
I will say that probably a key result of that is that we don't get second-guessed a lot. Our judgment here on the battlefield in the forward areas is trusted. And we don't get 20 questions with every action that happens on the battlefield and every action that we take.
And again, I think every commander that I know of appreciates being given the authority and responsibility, and then the trust and backing to implement that. So, that's what I'll say.
You had a follow-up question?
[. . .]
MAJ. RANKINE-GALLOWAY: Next, to Jennifer Griffin from Fox News.
Q: Hi, General Townsend.
Your time in Iraq has overlapped two administrations in the fight against ISIS. Can you tell us what the biggest difference in the last six months, in terms of being a commanding general and the way the ISIS fight was pursued -- how different it is from the prior administration? What is the biggest difference for you as a commander?
GEN. TOWNSEND: Well, I think that some of the differences -- look, both administrations, as would any U.S. administration -- both administrations were, I think, all-in on defeating ISIS in this region. That's why this CJTF was stood up three years ago.
So I think that is common to both, and -- and macro, I think, the approach has been very similar. There are some specific instances which I kind of talked about with an earlier -- an answer to an earlier question, that I think the current administration has empowered the chain of command to make more decisions on their own, and has then given top cover to the chain of command, I think, for the decisions that are being made. And I think that's important.
And that has -- just that alone has effects that reverberate throughout a military organization when they feel like they've been given the -- the authority and the trust to act and act aggressively. Then commanders now don't -- aren't constantly calling back to higher headquarters asking for permission, but they're free to act. And I think that's probably very empowering for any commander in our armed forces.
The military is quite clear on the difference before and after Barack.
Ben Rhodes 'forgets' that reality.
Again, we're not applauding the destruction of Iraq.
But we are saying Benny Bitch needs to stop lying.
TV: What we have to lose
AMERICAN HORROR STORY is an FX staple. Season seven kicked off earlier this month but did so with lower ratings and more negative criticism than ever before.
CULT is the name of season seven.
GROUP THINK or even FEAR might make for better titles.
It's true that this season is lacking in some details -- there's no attractive guy like DylanMcDermott wandering around onscreen naked. Add in Cheyenne Jackson's strange haircut for this season and that any season without Jessica Lange will always feel like a let down. (Emmy winner Lange left the series after the end of season four.)
That said, season seven is a strong one and potentially the strongest of the series.
It's not using any supernatural threat, nor does it need one.
Sarah Paulson is the lead character Ally and she's run with everything the scripts have provided. She should be up for an Emmy this time next year -- a well deserved nomination. The rest of the cast is doing a strong job as well -- especially Billy Eichner, Billie Lourd and Cheyenne Jackson.
The characters, each and every one, are the threat.
More to the point, their fears are the threat.
Ally, for example, shoots Pedro (Jorge-Luis Pallo) dead.
She knows Pedro. He works at the restaurant she and her wife Ivy (Alison Pill) own and operate.
He's driven by fear -- as evidenced by his responding to rude remarks in the kitchen by grabbing a butcher knife and holding it as a weapon.
But no one's more driven by fear than Ally.
Like some Americans, she's gripped by the 2016 election.
It's all so very personal to her.
As though no American president ever alarmed anyone before?
As though the United States (and other countries) haven't had leaders that reflected something other than the high road.
It's an election.
It's one person.
Get over it.
Instead, Ally wallows in it.
She takes normal fears and turns them into paralyzing moments.
She needs it, she lives off of it.
So when the lights go out and her neighbor tells her it's all over, that rioting is going to take place, that it may be ISIS, she grabs her son and plans to run outside in it (no, that doesn't make sense, but fear rarely does) and, seeing someone outside, she shoots.
She shoots to kill in fact.
She doesn't shoot the male in the leg so she and her son can get away, she shoots him dead.
He turns out to be Pedro. Ivy sent him from the restaurant to check on Ally, give her a phone charger and other items.
And he's dead.
All he was doing was walking up to the porch to knock on the door.
And he's dead.
Because of fear.
And her neighbors across the street insist it's because she's a racist. They throw Taco Bell coupons at her. They tell her that she's not a "progressive."
She's referred to as the "lesbian George Zimmerman" on the news.
It's one piece of hate piled on another as the fear increases and increases.
Early in IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, there's a run on the bank when people panic and fear rules.
What's worse is when we're all ruled by fear and that appears to be the story of season seven.
Some, out of fear, will form allegiances they shouldn't.
Ally was right to be repulsed by Kai (Evan Peters) initially. But now that everyone has turned on her, she appears to be wavering.
Fear can make you do awful things.
Fear is not the emotion to operate from.
Fear was the manipulation used after 9/11, fear is what allowed the Iraq War to start.
FDR, a great person we can still learn so much from, once argued, "We have nothing to fear but fear itself."
But the last months -- for far too many -- have been about little more than fear with some sour grapes squeezed in.
Hillary Clinton is not president.
She can go on NPR and claim to Terry Gross that she might challenge the results if she wants.
She just like an idiot and a sore loser because she can't challenge it.
The electoral college voted. The time to challenge would have been before that. She has no legal standing to challenge anything now.
Grasp that.
The electoral college was not infected by 'Russian influence.'
We don't believe the general electorate was either but we'll set that aside for a moment.
The electors gathered and they voted in Donald Trump.
There is nothing in the court of law or the Constitution that allows a US presidential election to be overturned.
'Impeachment!'
Impeachment delivers Mike Pence (the Vice President) to the presidency. It doesn't deliver Hillary Clinton to the White House.
Impeach Pence too?
The line of succession would then mean Speaker of the House Paul Ryan becomes President. After him? Senate President Pro Tempore Orrin Hatch. Then? Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Then? Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnchin. Now you can keep going down the list as long as you want -- you can even pull in the doomsday scenario of DESIGNATED SURVIVOR -- but grasp that on no list will you find Hillary Clinton's name.
Her day is over.
Fantasies are for children. When it comes to adults, fantasies belong in the bedroom.
Delusions and fear do not oust Donald Trump nor do they make him a one term president.
Delusions and fear lead to violence and panic and everything but change and progress.
AMERICAN HORROR STORY season seven is showing exactly what happens when we operate from fear. In doing so, it's offering one of their strongest storylines yet.
CULT is the name of season seven.
GROUP THINK or even FEAR might make for better titles.
It's true that this season is lacking in some details -- there's no attractive guy like DylanMcDermott wandering around onscreen naked. Add in Cheyenne Jackson's strange haircut for this season and that any season without Jessica Lange will always feel like a let down. (Emmy winner Lange left the series after the end of season four.)
That said, season seven is a strong one and potentially the strongest of the series.
It's not using any supernatural threat, nor does it need one.
Sarah Paulson is the lead character Ally and she's run with everything the scripts have provided. She should be up for an Emmy this time next year -- a well deserved nomination. The rest of the cast is doing a strong job as well -- especially Billy Eichner, Billie Lourd and Cheyenne Jackson.
The characters, each and every one, are the threat.
More to the point, their fears are the threat.
Ally, for example, shoots Pedro (Jorge-Luis Pallo) dead.
She knows Pedro. He works at the restaurant she and her wife Ivy (Alison Pill) own and operate.
He's driven by fear -- as evidenced by his responding to rude remarks in the kitchen by grabbing a butcher knife and holding it as a weapon.
But no one's more driven by fear than Ally.
Like some Americans, she's gripped by the 2016 election.
It's all so very personal to her.
As though no American president ever alarmed anyone before?
As though the United States (and other countries) haven't had leaders that reflected something other than the high road.
It's an election.
It's one person.
Get over it.
Instead, Ally wallows in it.
She takes normal fears and turns them into paralyzing moments.
She needs it, she lives off of it.
So when the lights go out and her neighbor tells her it's all over, that rioting is going to take place, that it may be ISIS, she grabs her son and plans to run outside in it (no, that doesn't make sense, but fear rarely does) and, seeing someone outside, she shoots.
She shoots to kill in fact.
She doesn't shoot the male in the leg so she and her son can get away, she shoots him dead.
He turns out to be Pedro. Ivy sent him from the restaurant to check on Ally, give her a phone charger and other items.
And he's dead.
All he was doing was walking up to the porch to knock on the door.
And he's dead.
Because of fear.
And her neighbors across the street insist it's because she's a racist. They throw Taco Bell coupons at her. They tell her that she's not a "progressive."
She's referred to as the "lesbian George Zimmerman" on the news.
It's one piece of hate piled on another as the fear increases and increases.
Early in IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, there's a run on the bank when people panic and fear rules.
What's worse is when we're all ruled by fear and that appears to be the story of season seven.
Some, out of fear, will form allegiances they shouldn't.
Ally was right to be repulsed by Kai (Evan Peters) initially. But now that everyone has turned on her, she appears to be wavering.
Fear can make you do awful things.
Fear is not the emotion to operate from.
Fear was the manipulation used after 9/11, fear is what allowed the Iraq War to start.
FDR, a great person we can still learn so much from, once argued, "We have nothing to fear but fear itself."
But the last months -- for far too many -- have been about little more than fear with some sour grapes squeezed in.
Hillary Clinton is not president.
She can go on NPR and claim to Terry Gross that she might challenge the results if she wants.
She just like an idiot and a sore loser because she can't challenge it.
The electoral college voted. The time to challenge would have been before that. She has no legal standing to challenge anything now.
Grasp that.
The electoral college was not infected by 'Russian influence.'
We don't believe the general electorate was either but we'll set that aside for a moment.
The electors gathered and they voted in Donald Trump.
There is nothing in the court of law or the Constitution that allows a US presidential election to be overturned.
'Impeachment!'
Impeachment delivers Mike Pence (the Vice President) to the presidency. It doesn't deliver Hillary Clinton to the White House.
Impeach Pence too?
The line of succession would then mean Speaker of the House Paul Ryan becomes President. After him? Senate President Pro Tempore Orrin Hatch. Then? Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Then? Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnchin. Now you can keep going down the list as long as you want -- you can even pull in the doomsday scenario of DESIGNATED SURVIVOR -- but grasp that on no list will you find Hillary Clinton's name.
Her day is over.
Fantasies are for children. When it comes to adults, fantasies belong in the bedroom.
Delusions and fear do not oust Donald Trump nor do they make him a one term president.
Delusions and fear lead to violence and panic and everything but change and progress.
AMERICAN HORROR STORY season seven is showing exactly what happens when we operate from fear. In doing so, it's offering one of their strongest storylines yet.
50 Best Alt-Rock albums of the 90s
Having left off a playlist an edition back, we heard from you about it.
So this issue, we offer up the 50 best alternative-rock albums of the 90s.
We debated, we discussed. We argued, we screamed. We howled, we raged.
And this is the fifty we came up with and the ranking we finally agreed to.
1) Nirvana's IN UTERO
2) Tori Amos' UNDER THE PINK
3) Nirvana's NEVERMIND
4) Tori Amos' LITTLE EARTHQUAKES
5) Soundgarden's SUPERUNKNOWN
6) Smashing Pumpkins' SIAMESE DREAM
7) Liz Phair's EXILE IN GUYVILLE
8) The Afghan Whigs' GENTLEMEN
9) PJ Harvey Trio's DRY
10) Alice in Chain's DIRT
11) L7's SMELL THE MAGIC
12) Pavement's SLANTED AND ENCHANTED
13) PJ Harvey's TO BRING YOU MY LOVE
14) The Rollins Band's WEIGHT
15) Garbage's GARBAGE
16) Screaming Tree's DUST
17) Tori Amos' BOYS FOR PELE
18) Skin Yard's 1000 SMILING KNUCKLES
19) Beck's MELLOW GOLD
20) L7's BRICKS ARE HEAVY
21) Alice in Chains' ALICE IN CHAINS
22) Temple of the Dog's TEMPLE OF THE DOG
23) Veruca Salt's BLOW IT OUT YOUR ASS IT's VERUCA SALT
24) Babes in Toyland's FONTANELLE
25) Catherine Wheel's FERMENT
26) Green Day's DOOKIE
27) My Bloody Valentine's LOVELESS
28) Blur's MODERN LIFE IS RUBBISH
29) Lucious Jackson's NATURAL INGREDIENTS
30) The Manic Street Preachers' GENERATION TERRORISTS
31) PJ Harvey Trio's RID OF ME
32) Babes in Toyland's FONTANELLE
33) Stone Temple Pilot's CORE
34) The Gits' FRENCHING THE BULLY
35) Mother Love Bone's APPLE
36) Temple of the Dog's TEMPLE OF THE DOG
37) Cypress Hill's BLACK SUNDAY
38) Soundgarden's BADMOTORFINGER
39) Nirvana's MTV UNPLUGGED IN NEW YORK
40) Bikini Kill's PUSSY WHIPPED
41) SINGLES soundtrack
42) Stone Temple Pilot's PURPLE
43) The Breeders' LAST SPLASH
44) Melvins' STONER WITCH
45) Tad's INHALER
46) Screaming Tree's UNCLE ANESTHESIA
47) Nirvana's BLEACH
48) Alice in Chain's FACELIFT
49) Hole's LIVE THROUGH THIS
50) 7 Year Bitch's VIVA ZAPATA!
So this issue, we offer up the 50 best alternative-rock albums of the 90s.
We debated, we discussed. We argued, we screamed. We howled, we raged.
And this is the fifty we came up with and the ranking we finally agreed to.
1) Nirvana's IN UTERO
2) Tori Amos' UNDER THE PINK
3) Nirvana's NEVERMIND
4) Tori Amos' LITTLE EARTHQUAKES
5) Soundgarden's SUPERUNKNOWN
6) Smashing Pumpkins' SIAMESE DREAM
7) Liz Phair's EXILE IN GUYVILLE
8) The Afghan Whigs' GENTLEMEN
9) PJ Harvey Trio's DRY
10) Alice in Chain's DIRT
11) L7's SMELL THE MAGIC
12) Pavement's SLANTED AND ENCHANTED
13) PJ Harvey's TO BRING YOU MY LOVE
14) The Rollins Band's WEIGHT
15) Garbage's GARBAGE
16) Screaming Tree's DUST
17) Tori Amos' BOYS FOR PELE
18) Skin Yard's 1000 SMILING KNUCKLES
19) Beck's MELLOW GOLD
20) L7's BRICKS ARE HEAVY
21) Alice in Chains' ALICE IN CHAINS
22) Temple of the Dog's TEMPLE OF THE DOG
23) Veruca Salt's BLOW IT OUT YOUR ASS IT's VERUCA SALT
24) Babes in Toyland's FONTANELLE
25) Catherine Wheel's FERMENT
26) Green Day's DOOKIE
27) My Bloody Valentine's LOVELESS
28) Blur's MODERN LIFE IS RUBBISH
29) Lucious Jackson's NATURAL INGREDIENTS
30) The Manic Street Preachers' GENERATION TERRORISTS
31) PJ Harvey Trio's RID OF ME
32) Babes in Toyland's FONTANELLE
33) Stone Temple Pilot's CORE
34) The Gits' FRENCHING THE BULLY
35) Mother Love Bone's APPLE
36) Temple of the Dog's TEMPLE OF THE DOG
37) Cypress Hill's BLACK SUNDAY
38) Soundgarden's BADMOTORFINGER
39) Nirvana's MTV UNPLUGGED IN NEW YORK
40) Bikini Kill's PUSSY WHIPPED
41) SINGLES soundtrack
42) Stone Temple Pilot's PURPLE
43) The Breeders' LAST SPLASH
44) Melvins' STONER WITCH
45) Tad's INHALER
46) Screaming Tree's UNCLE ANESTHESIA
47) Nirvana's BLEACH
48) Alice in Chain's FACELIFT
49) Hole's LIVE THROUGH THIS
50) 7 Year Bitch's VIVA ZAPATA!
Ty's Corner
Far be it from me to ever object to male-male spankings on TV . . .
But does no one else find that commercial . . . interesting?
Not even at the end where, after swatting the young man's butt repeatedly, Colonel Sanders declares, "It's finger licking good"?
Just asking.
Donald Glover's ego crowds out everyone (Ty, Betty, Ann, Cedric, Isaiah and Marcia)
Donald Glover made a name for himself on the sitcom COMMUNITY. At Sunday's Emmy broadcast, he won for best actor and best director for his work on ATLANTA.
We are happy for him.
We don't think it changes the world, but we are happy he got recognized.
We're less happy with what he shared in an acceptance speech, that he wanted to thank President Donald Trump "for making Black people number one on the most oppressed list."
As African-Americans, we're bothered by a number of things.
First off, the applause from a mixed race crowd to the notion that Black people are "the most oppressed."
How is that something to applaud?
More to the point, the Black Lives Matter movement came up when Barack Obama was president. High profile killings of African-Americans and police walking repeatedly.
Maybe Donald owes Barack a thank you?
And even more to the point, how self-obsessed is Donald Glover?
If you ask us, the most oppressed under a Trump administration would either be immigrants or the transgender community.
It takes a lot of gall to make the claim Donald Glover did.
We are happy for him.
We don't think it changes the world, but we are happy he got recognized.
We're less happy with what he shared in an acceptance speech, that he wanted to thank President Donald Trump "for making Black people number one on the most oppressed list."
As African-Americans, we're bothered by a number of things.
First off, the applause from a mixed race crowd to the notion that Black people are "the most oppressed."
How is that something to applaud?
More to the point, the Black Lives Matter movement came up when Barack Obama was president. High profile killings of African-Americans and police walking repeatedly.
Maybe Donald owes Barack a thank you?
And even more to the point, how self-obsessed is Donald Glover?
If you ask us, the most oppressed under a Trump administration would either be immigrants or the transgender community.
It takes a lot of gall to make the claim Donald Glover did.
50 best children's programs
A number of readers e-mailed suggesting our recent look at TV ignored children's programming. With that in mind, we've come up with our list of the best children's programs.
1) X-MEN EVOLUTION
2) THE RIPPING FRIENDS
3) SCOOBY-DOO, WHERE ARE YOU!
4) THE SECRETS OF ISIS
5) JOHNNY TEST
6) THE RUGRATS
7) PEE WEE'S PLAYHOUSE
8) UNDERDOG
9) JOSIE & THE PUSSYCATS
10) THE BUGALOOS
11) THE POWER PUFF GIRLS
12) H.R. PUFNSTUF
13) X-MEN: THE ANIMATED SERIES
14) SPIDER-MAN (1967 - 1970)
15) WEB WOMAN
16) FAT ALBERT AND THE COSBY KIDS
17) CHALLENGE OF THE GOBOTS
18) THE PERILS OF PENELOPE PITSTOP
19) LANCELOT LINK, SECRET CHIMP
20) PINKY AND THE BRAIN
21) ANGELINA BALLARINA
22) THE BANANA SPLITS ADVENTURE HOUR
23) THE MIGHTY HEROES
24) GEORGE OF THE JUNGLE
25) THE BATMAN/SUPERMAN HOUR (1967)
26) JACKSON 5IVE
27) THE LOST SAUCER
28) PEPPER ANN
29) BATMAN BEYOND
30) MAYA & MIGUEL
31) PRYOR'S PLACE
32) THE SMURFS
33) TAZ-MANIA
34) TINY TOON ADVENTURES
35) MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS
36) DUCK TALES
37) TOM & JERRY
38) HEY ARNOLD
39) DARKWING DUCK
40) THE BUGS BUNNY SHOW
41) TEEN TITANS
42) KIM POSSIBLE
43) ADVENTURE TIME
44) THE MAGIC SCHOOL BUS
45) THE REN & STIMPY SHOW
46) SPEED RACER
47) FELIX THE CAT
48) THE BULLWINKLE SHOW
49) DUCK DODGERS
50) COW AND CHICKEN
1) X-MEN EVOLUTION
2) THE RIPPING FRIENDS
3) SCOOBY-DOO, WHERE ARE YOU!
4) THE SECRETS OF ISIS
5) JOHNNY TEST
6) THE RUGRATS
7) PEE WEE'S PLAYHOUSE
8) UNDERDOG
9) JOSIE & THE PUSSYCATS
10) THE BUGALOOS
11) THE POWER PUFF GIRLS
12) H.R. PUFNSTUF
13) X-MEN: THE ANIMATED SERIES
14) SPIDER-MAN (1967 - 1970)
15) WEB WOMAN
16) FAT ALBERT AND THE COSBY KIDS
17) CHALLENGE OF THE GOBOTS
18) THE PERILS OF PENELOPE PITSTOP
19) LANCELOT LINK, SECRET CHIMP
20) PINKY AND THE BRAIN
21) ANGELINA BALLARINA
22) THE BANANA SPLITS ADVENTURE HOUR
23) THE MIGHTY HEROES
24) GEORGE OF THE JUNGLE
25) THE BATMAN/SUPERMAN HOUR (1967)
26) JACKSON 5IVE
27) THE LOST SAUCER
28) PEPPER ANN
29) BATMAN BEYOND
30) MAYA & MIGUEL
31) PRYOR'S PLACE
32) THE SMURFS
33) TAZ-MANIA
34) TINY TOON ADVENTURES
35) MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS
36) DUCK TALES
37) TOM & JERRY
38) HEY ARNOLD
39) DARKWING DUCK
40) THE BUGS BUNNY SHOW
41) TEEN TITANS
42) KIM POSSIBLE
43) ADVENTURE TIME
44) THE MAGIC SCHOOL BUS
45) THE REN & STIMPY SHOW
46) SPEED RACER
47) FELIX THE CAT
48) THE BULLWINKLE SHOW
49) DUCK DODGERS
50) COW AND CHICKEN
They kill civilians, don't they?
Today, Turkey continued bombing Iraq and this time ended up killing 3 civilians.
How many air strikes kill civilians?
That's what the bombers never want you to know -- be they Turkey, the US or the UK.
BBC NEWS notes:
Another 410 died in Syria since airstrikes started in December 2015.
The MoD said there was "no credible evidence" that civilians had died but admitted: "That isn't the same as saying we have not or will not do so."
Airwars, a group which monitors civilian casualties from international airstrikes in the region, said it would be "statistically impossible" for the RAF to carry out hundreds of attacks without killing civilians.
Liberation -- via murdering civilians.
How many air strikes kill civilians?
That's what the bombers never want you to know -- be they Turkey, the US or the UK.
BBC NEWS notes:
RAF airstrikes in Syria and Iraq
have killed more than 3,000 militants from so-called Islamic State, new
Ministry of Defence figures reveal.
Figures to the end of July show an estimated 2,684 fighters were killed in Iraq since bombing began in 2014.Another 410 died in Syria since airstrikes started in December 2015.
The MoD said there was "no credible evidence" that civilians had died but admitted: "That isn't the same as saying we have not or will not do so."
Airwars, a group which monitors civilian casualties from international airstrikes in the region, said it would be "statistically impossible" for the RAF to carry out hundreds of attacks without killing civilians.
Liberation -- via murdering civilians.
This edition's playlist
1) Tori Amos' NATIVE INVADERS.
2) Janet Jackson's UNBREAKABLE.
5) Tori Amos' LITTLE EARTHQUAKES.
7) Sade's LOVERS ROCK.
8) Tori Amos' UNDER THE PINK.
Le Carré’s legacy—A Legacy of Spies is both prequel and sequel to earlier work
This is from Great Britain's SOCIALIST WORKER:
by Simon Basketter
An elderly man is summoned back to London. The spies’ old headquarters is long gone. Now MI6 is based in its “shockingly ostentatious new headquarters—Spyland Beside the Thames”.
Old men look back. Last year John le Carré wrote his own memoir, The Pigeon Tunnel, a companion and reply to Adam Sisman’s major biography.
So A Legacy of Spies returns to characters first encountered in his 1961 debut, Call for the Dead—George Smiley and Peter Guillam.
Tailors
The new novel is an attempt to recalibrate the book that made him famous, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1963). Le Carré takes a le Carré classic and tinkers with it, and tailors it into something different.
In The Spy Who Came in from the Cold Alec Leamas, a burned-out agent, and Liz Gold, a young British communist, die climbing the Berlin Wall.
Leamas thinks he is bringing down a former Nazi in the East German secret service. The Nazi is already working for the British, and the real target is a Jewish man who might expose him.
Now we learn crucial material was withheld from us. The new novel is both a prequel and a sequel.
There are deft descriptions and character sketches. Variations in tone carry vast dramatic weight.
Politely
And no writer is better at turning the act of two people talking politely to each other across a desk into a blood sport.
The main plot strand is simple. It emerges that Liz Gold and Leamas had children. Those children are about to sue MI6.
There is a bit of strained philosophical worrying, “Who will atone for our father’s sins, even if they weren’t sins at the time?” And “Today’s blameless generation versus your guilty one.”
The book is targeted at le Carre’s most loyal readers. Guillam eventually traces old Smiley down, as he asks himself, “Were we simply suffering from the incurable English disease of needing to play the world’s game when we weren’t world players anymore?”
Oddly there are numerous discrepancies between the earlier books and this one—not all useful or needed. Most are the type that will be spotted by the readers this book is aimed at.
And perhaps this is one more final tour of the ageing band. It is a joy to read le Carré tightening his grip on his own legacy.
Le Carré’s legacy—A Legacy of Spies is both prequel and sequel to earlier work
An elderly man is summoned back to London. The spies’ old headquarters is long gone. Now MI6 is based in its “shockingly ostentatious new headquarters—Spyland Beside the Thames”.
Old men look back. Last year John le Carré wrote his own memoir, The Pigeon Tunnel, a companion and reply to Adam Sisman’s major biography.
So A Legacy of Spies returns to characters first encountered in his 1961 debut, Call for the Dead—George Smiley and Peter Guillam.
Tailors
The new novel is an attempt to recalibrate the book that made him famous, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1963). Le Carré takes a le Carré classic and tinkers with it, and tailors it into something different.
In The Spy Who Came in from the Cold Alec Leamas, a burned-out agent, and Liz Gold, a young British communist, die climbing the Berlin Wall.
Leamas thinks he is bringing down a former Nazi in the East German secret service. The Nazi is already working for the British, and the real target is a Jewish man who might expose him.
Now we learn crucial material was withheld from us. The new novel is both a prequel and a sequel.
There are deft descriptions and character sketches. Variations in tone carry vast dramatic weight.
Politely
And no writer is better at turning the act of two people talking politely to each other across a desk into a blood sport.
The main plot strand is simple. It emerges that Liz Gold and Leamas had children. Those children are about to sue MI6.
There is a bit of strained philosophical worrying, “Who will atone for our father’s sins, even if they weren’t sins at the time?” And “Today’s blameless generation versus your guilty one.”
The book is targeted at le Carre’s most loyal readers. Guillam eventually traces old Smiley down, as he asks himself, “Were we simply suffering from the incurable English disease of needing to play the world’s game when we weren’t world players anymore?”
Oddly there are numerous discrepancies between the earlier books and this one—not all useful or needed. Most are the type that will be spotted by the readers this book is aimed at.
And perhaps this is one more final tour of the ageing band. It is a joy to read le Carré tightening his grip on his own legacy.
US Senate Candidate Says Kid Rock Is Not A Serious Choice
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
9/12/2017
Contact: Media Assistant 1, Anita Belle for US Senate
(313) 395-6200
(517) 294-9914
US Senate Candidate Says Kid Rock Is Not A Serious Choice
“Crude behavior illustrates an inability to lead,” says Belle
A
candidate seeking the US Senate seat currently held by Democrat Debbie
Stabenow recently voiced strong concerns about another potential
opponent in the race – recording artist Kid Rock. Anita Belle, who is
campaigning for the nomination of the Green Party of Michigan in the
contest, responded to Rock’s recent attacks on local activists and
leaders in the black community.
“Kid Rock is
not a serious candidate for public office and no one should be treating
him seriously. He’s shamelessly self-promoting his new record while
participating in dog-whistle politics. He has the audacity to degrade
people who are moving the black community forward with positive
activism, like Rev. Al Sharpton and Colin Kapernick. It shows that he
will do anything to make a buck.”
Rock, whose
real name is Robert Ritchie, has announced he is “exploring” a run for
US Senate and is prepared to headline a string of dates opening the
brand new Little Caesar’s Arena in downtown Detroit. The arena was
partially funded by public money and Rock owns a restaurant in the complex.
Local
activists including Metro Detroit Political Action Network have
responded with fervor to the decision to have Rock open the arena,
pointing to his prior use of the confederate flag and outlandish public
statements as reasons they will protest the 9/12 concert and grand
opening. An event on Facebook promoting a rally in opposition to the
grand opening has produced substantial interest, with more than one
thousand responses.
While Rock
has stated he is merely “exploring” a run, a website owned by the
singer’s label, Warner Bros. Records offers T-shirts, yard signs and
other memorabilia stating “Kid Rock ‘18 for US Senate” alongside other
items, including a t-shirt depicting much of the US as a country called
“Dumbf***istan.
Rock
has been named as a defendant in a lawsuit filed by the group Common
Cause, which claims Rock is violating Federal election law. Rock
publicly responded by telling the organization “Go f*** yourselves.”
“It’s unthinkable that a candidate for any public office would respond
in such a way, especially a candidate for US Senate. Kid Rock’s crude
behavior illustrates an inability to lead.” Belle said. “Donald Trump
has ushered in a new era of lowest-common denominator politics. Now, Kid
Rock is upping the ante. How low can we go? Michigan deserves much
better. Our prospective public officials should conduct themselves in a
manner that is worthy of respect.”
Recently,
the singer performed a concert in Grand Rapids, giving a mock-up
campaign speech, complete with podium, where he attacked single mothers
receiving government assistance. “It is the epitome of white privilege
for Kid Rock to attack poor working mothers using bogus welfare queen
stereotypes.” Belle remarked. “Stating ‘I love black people’ at the end
of his speech to cover for his dog-whistling isn’t fooling Detroit
residents and it’s not fooling the voters of the great state of
Michigan.”
###
Anita Belle is available for interview. To schedule an appointment, call (517) 294-9914
Isakson Delivers Remarks on National Defense, Hurricane Irma Recovery, JSTARS
Senator Johnny Isakson is the Chair of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. His office issued the following last week.
Contact: Amanda Maddox, 202-224-7777
Contact: Amanda Maddox, 202-224-7777
Marie Gordon, 770-661-0999
Isakson Delivers Remarks on National Defense, Hurricane Irma Recovery, JSTARS
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., spoke on the floor of the U.S. Senate yesterday to argue for support for the National Defense Authorization Act,
which is currently being debated in the Senate. The measure seeks to
ensure that our military has the resources it needs to carry out its
missions, including critical support in the aftermath of recent
hurricanes.
Isakson
opened his remarks by acknowledging military service members who are
helping in recovery efforts from Hurricanes Irma and Harvey and by
thanking every level of preparation and storm response that has allowed
for a speedy response in Georgia, starting with Georgia Governor Nathan
Deal.
“In Georgia, we lost three lives, which is tragic. We’re sorry for each one of them and our hearts go out to those families,” said Isakson. “Our
preparation by Governor Nathan Deal and other leaders in the state saw
to it that our reaction and our timeliness was excellent. I want to
thank Governor Nathan Deal as well as Georgia Emergency Management in
coordination with the agency of FEMA who worked to ensure that
everywhere we had danger in Georgia, we also had response for our people
and for our state.”
Isakson also highlighted the urgent need to pass the National Defense Authorization Actto
provide our warfighters with the tools and resources to counter ongoing
threats, including continued support for the Joint Surveillance Target
Attack Radar System (JSTARS) mission based out of Georgia.
“JSTARS is an asset of our U.S. military and our intelligence agencies with a capability that is second to none in the world,” said Isakson. “Since
the Gulf War and everything that’s happened in the Middle East and
ensued since then, [JSTARS] has been invaluable in command and control
capabilities on the ground. It is an intelligence capability that is
unmatched by any of our military adversaries in the world.”
Isakson noted
that he had a visit earlier in the day Wednesday from Heather Wilson,
secretary of the U.S. Air Force, who confirmed to him that the branch
was considering other ways of delivering JSTARS’ services to military
personnel.
He expressed serious concerns about the Air Force’s “inexplicable” consideration of abandoning this proven and successful platform.
“Our
country and our soldiers and our warfighters have benefitted greatly on
the ground and in the air, from JSTARS’ surveillance capabilities,” Isakson observed.
“I
would submit if the Air Force were to decide that rather than
recapitalizing the JSTARS program that we’ve been working on for the
last few years, they would go to an alternative delivery system, they’re
probably giving up security for our country, intel for our men and
women on the ground, battlefield coordination you could not replace any
other way, and an asset that we’ve taken for granted for far too long in
this country,” he argued.
In addition, Isakson committed to supporting the National Defense Authorization Act,and noted the work of Senate Committee on Armed Services Chairman Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., on the bill.
“I came to the floor to say that I’m with you, and I support you,” said Isakson. “But
I want to make sure we do everything we can to ensure the JSTARS
[program] and the capabilities of that mission are recapitalized for our
soldiers in the future and our military in the future. For us to fail
to do so… would be bad for our soldiers, bad for our security and bad
for our country.”
###